In the News

December 22, 2011 — Ohio Gov. John Kasich (R) on Wednesday signed into law a bill (HB 79) that will prohibit health plans from offering abortion coverage in the state's health insurance exchange, the Dayton Daily News' "Ohio Politics" reports. The exchange will be launched as part of the federal health reform law (PL 111-148).

The Ohio legislation is backed by abortion-rights opponents and opposed by abortion-rights supporters. Kellie Copeland, executive director of NARAL Pro-Choice Ohio, said, "Politicians should never be allowed to limit the kinds of insurance benefits that women are allowed to purchase with their own money" (Hershey, "Ohio Politics," Dayton Daily News, 12/21).

Copeland added that the legislation "clearly violates the Ohio Constitution." The American Civil Liberties Union previously said it would sue to block the measure if it became law. ACLU argues that the legislation violates a new amendment to the Ohio Constitution stating that no law may prohibit the sale or purchase of health care or health insurance (Wisniewski, Reuters, 12/21).

Video Round Up

N.C. Gov. To Break Campaign Promise on Abortion Bills

AP/ABC News 11's Ed Crump discusses how North Carolina Gov. Pat McCrory (R) will break his campaign pledge to not sign any abortion restrictions if he signs a 72-hour mandatory delay bill into law. Watch the video

Datapoints

See where states rank on reproductive rights across the U.S. Plus, find out how states are imposing more restrictions on and limiting women's access to abortion. Read more

At A Glance

"Not since before Roe v. Wade has a law or court decision had the potential to devastate access to reproductive health care on such a sweeping scale."

— Nancy Northup, president and CEO of the Center for Reproductive Rights, on a ruling from the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals that upheld major portions of a Texas antiabortion-rights law. Read more